Florida Activates New Workforce Brand

CareerSource Florida seeks to boost awareness and use of services by employers and job seekers

After 15 months of research and development, Florida’s workforce system today launched its new statewide brand, CareerSource Florida, in a move to better connect businesses with job seekers. Florida is the first state in the nation to achieve a unified brand and logo for all of its state and regional workforce development boards and career centers.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Florida’s workforce system works hard every day to help Floridians find jobs. In the past month alone, it has placed more than 40,000 Floridians in jobs, and in the last year it has helped 27,000 veterans find employment. We are committed to creating an opportunity economy in Florida that will support jobs for generations to come, and with the help of the CareerSource Florida network, more Floridians will be able to pursue their dreams.”

“Florida’s need for qualified, skilled talent is growing exponentially with the new global economy, and brand alignment is a critical step in our ability to meet that need,” said CareerSource Florida Chairman Dwayne Ingram, speaking to business and community leaders today at the official launch of the new brand at CareerSource South Florida’s North Miami Beach Career Center. “A single, statewide brand will help Floridians and businesses easily find us. Whether businesses are located in one county, multiple cities or even in another country, we can help them quickly fill positions, train new or existing workers and ramp up their competitiveness.”

Starting today, the state’s workforce policy and investment board, Workforce Florida, becomes CareerSource Florida. Each of the state’s 24 regional workforce organizations and nearly 100 career centers also will use the new brand with regional identifiers. For example, South Florida Workforce, which assists job seekers and businesses in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, is now CareerSource South Florida; Workforce Alliance is now CareerSource Palm Beach County; and WorkForce One is now CareerSource Broward.

“This is not just a name change,” said Alvin West, CareerSource South Florida Chairman and CFO & Senior Vice President of Administration, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We are changing our culture and the way we do business. Our new name, CareerSource South Florida, better reflects the strength of our partnership with Florida’s nationally recognized workforce system and will drive greater understanding and use of services available to job seekers and employers.”

Prior to the rebranding initiative, there were 25 brand names for the state and local workforce boards as well as numerous other brands associated with the system and its career centers. Research showed the multiple names contributed to a lack of awareness of the system’s employment and training tools among both employers and job seekers.

“Moving to a single, distinctive identity takes our workforce development network to the next level, clearly communicating to our business and job-seeking customers that we have the professional resources to support their success, wherever they are in Florida,” said CareerSource Florida President/CEO Chris Hart IV.

To complement the new brand, CareerSource Florida has launched its new website, careersourceflorida.com, where job seekers — entry-level to professional — and employers can go to connect to the state’s online job-matching tool and employment and training resources available throughout Florida. Information about major statewide workforce initiatives and programs also is available on the site.

The CareerSource Florida brand is represented by a colorful orange, blue and green logo. The name and logo are the result of market research and a collaborative process involving more than 1,500 stakeholders, from job seekers and businesses to regional workforce board leaders, frontline workforce professionals and strategic partners. The combined CareerSource Florida name and logo was the overwhelming top choice among Floridians and businesses surveyed.

Read the full news release HERE.

Click HERE to read the project announcement between CareerSource Florida (formerly Workforce Florida) and IDEAS.